Finding Roy Harper
by Bookworm85
Summary: Red Arrow goes searching for Speedy after the Season 1 finale. This time, Cadmus captures him before he can rescue the younger teen. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Takes place after Season 1 of Young Justice. I don't own Young Justice or DC, but I do own Dr. Reinhard.

Rated T for physical and psychological torture.

Finding Roy Harper

Roy was numb as Green Arrow and Black Canary led him home from the Watchtower. Well, to Oliver's home anyway, not the apartment that Roy- Red Arrow- had been living in the past several months. They had stopped at the Cave just long enough to change into civilian clothes. When they reached their final destination, Roy didn't even realize where he was until he looked up and saw the Queen mansion in front of him. He gave his mentor a confused look, and Ollie quietly said, "You shouldn't be alone tonight."

The adults escorted him to his old room. When they reached the doorway, Dinah gave his shoulder a squeeze and left the two men. "There's some pajamas you can change into. I'll wait here," Oliver said, closing the door between them.

He did as the older man said, feeling like he was sleepwalking. Maybe this was just a bizarre dream. I mean, clones and mind control? That couldn't be real. Except aliens and telepathy and shape shifting and superpowers and x-ray vision and oh god, this was really happening, it was real, except _he_ wasn't real, he wasn't Roy Harper and everything he knew was a lie.

Oliver knocked on the door and the young man flinched at the sound. He realized at some point he had sat on the ground (or fallen) and now he was rocking back and forth. Roy also realized he was chanting something quietly- not real, not real, not real. Oliver knocked again, and then opened the door. He went instantly to his protégé and knelt beside him. "Roy, what's wrong?"

"Don't call me that!" the young man snapped. "That's not me. That's not my name."

"Okay, okay," Oliver said, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "Red Arrow. Talk to me."

The young man just sat on the floor, shaking his head. When he began to rock again, Oliver took his arm and helped him stand. "Come on. It's late. You should get some rest."

Red Arrow was going to say something to that, but exhaustion hit him then. This was too much for anyone to handle. He allowed Oliver to led him to the bed. Red Arrow opened his mouth to retort that he wasn't four years old when Oliver tucked him in. Then he closed his mouth again when he realized that technically, he didn't exist four years ago. He felt so empty. He closed his eyes and let everything around him disappear.

* * *

"How's he doing?" Dinah asked.

Oliver sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. He's just... numb."

"This is a big shock for him," she said.

"For us as well," Oliver said. "Speedy's gone. Has been for over three years and I didn't even know. I didn't notice that my own sidekick was missing."

"That was the point. If you knew that Speedy was missing, you would have gone after him. Cadmus was too clever to allow that to happen."

"I still blame myself."

"I know, but you shouldn't," Dinah said, wrapping her arms around him. "Instead of beating yourself up about his, we should concentrate on how to make this better." Oliver opened his mouth but she continued. "In the morning. Neither of us are going to come up with a good plan without some sleep."

"Are you staying?"

"You know I wouldn't leave you," she answered.

* * *

Red Arrow woke a little before noon. It took him a minute to figure out where he was, but once he recognized the room, everything else came back and hit him. He felt paralyzed for several minutes, before a single thought caused him to move. 'I need to find Speedy.'

He went downstairs and found Oliver and Dinah in the dining room. They stopped talking when he entered the room. "There's more pancakes by the stove," Oliver offered. "I figured we would all be getting a late start this morning, so brunch sounded like a good idea."

"Thanks," Red Arrow said automatically, but didn't move. Dinah tilted her head sideways as if trying to see what the young man was thinking. He quickly continued talking before she could do that therapist-thing where she figured out how you were feeling when you didn't even know how you felt yourself. "I have to find Speedy."

Oliver sighed. "We were just talking about that. Get some food and take a seat."

"We don't have time," the younger man objected. He noticed that he had started to sway slightly. Maybe food wouldn't be a bad idea. When was the last time he had eaten? Lunch the day before?

"Look, we need to make a plan before we do anything. Speedy could literally be anywhere on Earth, or maybe even in space. We won't find him by randomly checking every building in the world," Oliver said. "Sit. Eat."

Red Arrow took a seat at one end of the table, leaving two seats empty between him and his mentor. Dinah left the room and returned with a plate of pancakes and a glass of orange juice for Roy. He gave her a nod of thanks.

"He could still be at Cadmus," Red Arrow said, taking a bite. He saw them give each other a sidelong glance.

"Ro- Red Arrow, we have to consider the fact that he might not even be alive. It's been more than three years," Oliver said.

"So you're not even going to try?" he asked angrily, putting his fork down. "How could-"

"That's not what we're saying," Dinah said calmly.

"We also need to make sure you're okay, before you go out in the field," Oliver added.

Roy bristled at the implication. "I'm fine. M'gann and J'onn both checked me and made sure all the brainwashing was gone. I won't turn traitor again," he said bitterly.

"Listen to us," Oliver said, his voice testy. "We're not accusing you, or trying to stop you from finding Speedy. I just want- We just want to make sure you're handling everything okay."

"My memories are a lie, I betrayed my friends, and oh yeah, I'm a clone. Everything's perfect," Roy retorted. He took a breath and forced himself to calm down. "Listen, the only way I can start to feel better is if I find him. I'll be fine in the field. We have a lead, and we need to follow it before they pack up and leave."

Oliver allowed the change in topic. "I already contacted Batman and Superman. They will meet the two of us at Cadmus."

Red Arrow winced at the mention of the other heroes. "Do we need them?" he asked without much force behind his words.

"You know we do. Cadmus is right outside Metropolis, and it's impolite to go to another hero's territory on business without informing them. And we could use the World's Greatest Detective to help us solve a case that's three years old." There was an awkward silence. Oliver cleared his throat and stood. "Finish your food and suit up. You and I are leaving in thirty." Dinah stood and started to follow Oliver out the door, but she paused by Roy's chair.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he lied, and continued eating. Dinah gave him a knowing look, but she didn't press the issue.

* * *

With the zeta tubes, it didn't take long for Green Arrow and Red Arrow to reach Cadmus. Batman was already there, with Robin in tow. Roy really didn't want another person along on this. As much as he realized that more help meant the faster they would find Speedy, the others were just a reminder of the life he had stolen. They were Speedy's friends and family, not his.

Robin looked up at him and smiled, "Hey, Red Arrow."

At least with his uniform on, there wasn't a question about his name. "Hey, Robin," he answered, attempting to sound friendly. Robin gave him a curious look, so maybe it didn't come across as friendly as he was trying for. Superman showed up before Roy had to navigate any more conversation.

"Sorry I'm late. There was a mugging I had to take care of." He noticed the young teen. "Hi, Robin."

"I brought Robin along since he has been in Cadmus before," Batman explained. "His knowledge could be beneficial."

Red Arrow was a little surprised that Batman explained himself. Usually the Caped Crusader expected others to figure out what he was thinking or trust his judgment without question.

"The gang's all here. What are we waiting for?" Green Arrow said and walked towards the door. Roy had noticed the nervous energy that Oliver had tried to hide on their trip here. It looked like it was getting harder for the man to keep up the calm exterior as they got closer to their target.

Green Arrow led the way, followed by Batman and Robin. Superman trailed behind, shooting curious glances at Red Arrow. Roy tried not to be annoyed that this was _his_ mission, and he was bringing up the rear. He reminded himself that the others wanted their friend back. He also thought that if he hadn't gone solo when he did, he would have been with the others when they rescued Superboy. He would have been in Cadmus, and possibly discovered the secret of his origin months before he had the chance to betray the League. Irony, or good planning on the part of Cadmus and the Light?

Robin led them straight to the elevators. "Last time we went down the shaft using a grappling gun," he offered.

"It would allow us to come up on them undetected," Superman said." Although I don't mind flying with some of you."

Roy tried to suppress a wince at the thought of someone carrying him. Ollie seemed to have the same hesitation. "If you start a line, can't we slide down?" his mentor asked. Robin nodded. Batman shot the grappling gun and started down, his protégé following. Oliver waved Roy on, surprising him. After Roy went, Oliver came behind him. Superman flew down, passing both of them. If the hero of Metropolis was offended that no one took him up on his offer, he didn't show it.

They reached subbasement level 26 in less than a minute. Robin activated his wrist-computer. "I'm reading several life signs, but they are faint," he reported.

"Maybe they are in stasis," Batman said. "Be on the lookout for guards, though." Robin nodded and deactivated the computer. Batman took the lead, and Robin was close behind. Roy felt queasy suddenly and turned to his former mentor for support. Green Arrow didn't look much better. The teen felt a surge of sympathy for the older man. He caught Green Arrow's eye, and Oliver gave him a tight smile and pat the young man's shoulder once.

They searched several rooms that turned out to be abandoned labs. It was obvious some of the supplies had been taken, but there was a lot left behind as well. If they- whoever "they" were- found out about the Team's success at the Watchtower as soon as it happened, they would have had twelve hours to pack up and move. They could be in another country by now, setting up shop to continue their evil acts.

They finally found a room that was filled with stasis pods. "Split up," Batman said unnecessarily. The five superheroes each took a different row. Roy looked into each pod, his breath held for what, or who, he would find. There were a lot of pods, and a good portion of them were occupied. Some of the occupants were human, some were alien, and some Roy didn't know what they were. He reached the end of the row without finding the person he was looking for.

"Any luck?" Superman asked kindly when they met up at the end of the row. Roy shook his head and turned to see what the others had found.

"There were 10 occupied pods in my row," Robin said when he reached them.

"About that many on my row too," Green Arrow said.

"Same for me," Superman replied, and Red Arrow nodded.

"That means there's about 50 imprisoned beings, counting my row," Batman said, appearing last. "The pods are all plugged in to a power source. That means they would need a portable power source to move him."

"A portable power source would also have a finite amount of energy," Green Arrow said. "They wouldn't have long before they would need to plug him in again." Roy didn't miss his former mentor's wince. He turned away so he wouldn't have to witness the other man's pain.

When he turned, he found himself looking into an empty pod. Suddenly, a memory resurfaced. He was trapped inside the pod, thick glass surrounding him. He pounded on the glass, shouting for help. A man in a lab coat came by and looked at him with annoyance. The man pressed some buttons on the side of the container. Roy's panic began to fade as consciousness slipped from him.

A hand was placed on his shoulder, making Roy jerk away reflexively. Oliver looked at him inquisitively. "I'm fine," he said."Just... memories." Red Arrow could tell that Oliver was tempted to tell him to wait outside, but the older man seemed to realize Roy wouldn't listen and that it would just push the wedge between them deeper.

"Odds are, this facility has been abandoned. They took what they needed and left. The good news is that they may have left something important behind in their haste," Batman said. "Robin, I want you to examine one of the pods. See what you can on how it works. Download the schematics on your wrist computer. I'll check the main computer to see what the scientists were working on."

"I'll use my x-ray vision to see which rooms might have something useful for us," Superman offered.

"Once you identify the rooms, Red Arrow and I can help you search," Green Arrow said. He looked at his former sidekick, wondering if the young man would argue with this. Roy just nodded. If he was actively doing something, maybe that would forestall any questions the others would ask about his well-being.

Batman nodded and went to the main console. Robin attached a cable to the base of an occupied pod. Red Arrow looked away, not wanting any more memories of his imprisonment to resurface. He followed Oliver and Clark into the hallway. For the next hour, the three of them searched the facility. There were a few moments of hope that they had found something useful, only to be followed by bitter disappointment. The three heroes returned to the room where they had left Batman and Robin. "We didn't find any clues on where they went. Any luck with you two?" Green Arrow asked.

Batman was noncommittal. "I found a lot of information, but I'll have to analyze it to see if it's what we need. I'll continue sifting through the data in the Batcave."

"The portable power packs have energy for 10 hours. Unfortunately, they could have taken multiple power packs and replaced them when the battery was drained. We don't have a guarantee that Speedy is within radius of 10 hours' travel time," Robin said.

Green Arrow's shoulders slumped. "Well, I think we've exhausted this lead. We should head out."

"What about them?" Robin asked, indicating the pods.

"I'll inform J'onn," Batman said. "He can scan their minds to see if they pose a risk before we decide to release them."

Roy bit back an angry remark. He reminded himself that wasn't a jab at him. Or if it was, it wasn't undeserved.

"Thanks for your help, everyone," Green Arrow said. "Batman, you'll let me know if you find anything?"

"Of course." The heroes returned to ground level via elevator in silence. When they stepped out the front door, Superman flew away and Batman and Robin swung away with the grappling hooks, leaving the protectors of Star City alone.

"I'm sorry we didn't find him today, but we're not giving up," Green Arrow assured the teen.

"Let's just go home," Red Arrow said. He didn't feel like talking right now. Dinah was waiting for them at the house. She didn't have to ask how it went. The expressions on their faces told her.

* * *

Oliver left Roy in his room for almost three hours before he broke down and went to see him. He knew the young man would view his presence as an intrusion, but darn it, this was his house and he was going to go in whatever room he wanted.

He found the young man lying on top of the covers on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Roy didn't acknowledge the other man's presence. Oliver cleared his throat, and when that didn't work, he said, "Can we talk?"

Roy said, "Sure," but it wasn't with much feeling.

Oliver sat on the bed by Roy's feet. "I know this is difficult for you," he started, and paused, waiting to be interrupted. He wasn't, so he continued. "But we're going to figure this out. Okay? That's what heroes do."

"I'm not a hero," Roy said softly, still not looking at Oliver. "I'm a fraud."

Oliver rubbed his forehead. He was fighting a battle on two fronts- trying to save Speedy from Cadmus, and trying to save Red Arrow from despair. "I don't know why you keep pushing me away."

"I don't need your sympathy. I don't deserve it."

"I'm pretty sure you do. You're hurting and I want to help."

"Why? You don't owe me anything. I'm not _him_ ," Red Arrow said angrily.

"It doesn't matter! Look, I've known you for three years now- you, not him. I trained you. Aren't I allowed to care about my protégé?"

Roy turned over on the bed so his back was to Oliver. The blond man sighed. "I'll be downstairs if you need me, okay?" He waited for a response, but finally left when he realized he wasn't going to receive one.

The teen waited until he was sure he was alone to get off the bed. He paced the room. Nothing made sense. He didn't trust his own mind. The only thing he knew was that he had to find the young man he was cloned from. He told himself if he accomplished that, then it would almost redeem him. Red Arrow could leave Star City and not feel like he ruined everything he touched. He could disappear and not worry about these people anymore.

But how was he supposed to find a top secret research facility? Batman might find a lead in the data he downloaded, but Roy didn't want to depend on someone else. If the Justice League decided Roy couldn't be trusted (and why should they trust him, after his betrayal?) they could pursue Cadmus without informing him. Even though it should be enough to have the original Roy safe at home, the clone felt that it had to be him who found the younger teen.

He dropped back down on his bed and thought. He had been in Cadmus before. Heck, he had been created there. During his formation, maybe he had heard or seen something that would give him a clue on a backup location if the facility had ever been compromised.

Closing his eyes, Roy tried to remember what he had observed. He pushed away memories of his childhood- the other Roy's childhood- and the past few years when he was living a lie. Every time he got close to something, the thought slipped away. Finally, he gave up and sat up on his bed, rubbing his throbbing head. Roy started to move to the bathroom to find some Advil when he stopped in his tracks.

/ He could clearly see that he was trapped inside a pod, but he made no effort to struggle. There were two men in white lab coats standing on the other side of the glass. "Did you finish it?" the taller doctor asked.

"Of course I did," the shorter doctor answered. "I wouldn't want to get on Reinhard's bad side."

The tall doctor shuddered. "Me neither. You hear stories that staff who cross him become experiments. It's probably not true, but when I'm in the same room as him, it's hard to not believe it."

"And he's so paranoid. Can you believe the emergency plans he's developed?"

"Yeah. 'Secret infiltration from a superhero.' Really?"

"Too bad the weather wouldn't be any better at our backup location if we were infiltrated. If it was, say in Florida, I'd tell Superman myself where we are so we could move." Short Doctor smiled at his joke before noticing the worried look on his companion's face.

"Careful about your jokes," Tall Doctor warned, looking around. Short Doctor looked around as well. He noticed Roy staring at them.

"Hey, the clone's eyes are open. Check the dosage on the drugs we've got going," Short Doctor said. Both doctors crowded by the controls. "Right there," he said pointing at the screen.

"I see it. Move so I can fix it," Tall Doctor said. He pressed a few buttons and the edges of Roy's vision blurred. "There we go. So, early lunch break?" he asked his companion./

His head was pounding even harder after the memory ended. Roy lifted his hand to his face and found blood. Hurrying to the bathroom, he saw that he had a nosebleed. He grabbed a wad of tissues and pressed it to his nose. Breathing slowly through his mouth, Roy tried to calm himself. This was the first memory he had purposely recovered from his time in Cadmus. Maybe being in the facility had jogged something. Those doctors had been talking about where Cadmus would be moved to if the facility had ever been compromised. That would be where they were keeping Speedy. If only he had heard where the backup location was.

Roy removed the tissues from his face. The flow of blood had stopped, but the headache was still there. He found some pain reliever in the medicine cabinet and took two pills dry. Then he pressed his forehead against the cool surface of the mirror.

He should tell Oliver that he was remembering things, but he didn't want to get the other man's hopes up. One memory didn't mean the rest of it would come to him. Maybe the other memories wouldn't be helpful at all.

He checked the clock in the bathroom to see it was a little after nine p.m. Roy hadn't eaten since brunch. His stomach insisted on something to eat, so Roy went downstairs quietly, hoping to avoid Oliver. He made it to the fridge and had his head inside when he heard a female voice behind him. "I was wondering if you were ever going to come down for food."

"Well, here I am," Roy said, still digging around in the fridge. Dinah would forgive his rudeness.

"There's some lasagna left over from dinner," she offered.

Roy found the mentioned food and retrieved it. He fixed himself a plate and heated it, waiting for Dinah to broach the subject first. She didn't. They both stood there listening to the whirr of the microwave. When it beeped, Roy took the lasagna and a glass of milk and headed for the stairs.

"Table," Dinah reminded him. Roy frowned, but took a seat at the table. She sat next to him, and waited.

Roy started eating, determined to wait her out, but Dinah wasn't chosen to be the Team's therapist based solely on her looks. She could wait out anyone. "What do you want me to say?" he asked abruptly.

"Whatever you want to," she said in that annoyingly calm therapist voice.

He rolled his eyes. "You know, I really hate it when you do that." Dinah smiled. "Fine. I'm frustrated that we didn't find Speedy."

"You know that this could take some time," Dinah reminded him. "The chances were low that you would rescue him on the first day."

"Doesn't make it easier," Roy muttered and took another bite.

"Why is it so important that you find him?" she asked.

"Why doesn't anyone else want to find Roy?" he asked, setting his fork down with more force than necessary. "Why am I the only one trying?"

"We do want to find him. You seem to have a stronger drive. I'm curious to know what it is that's pushing you so hard."

"You think I'm still brainwashed," Roy realized. "That's why you're questioning my motives."

Dinah was shaking her head before he finished speaking. "J'onn checked you over and gave you a clean bill of health."

"Then what is it? Everyone wants the real Roy found, so why does it matter if I'm more driven?"

The blond woman looked sad. "The real Roy?" she asked.

"Yeah." He looked down at his plate so he wouldn't have to see the sadness in Dinah's eyes.

"Are you not real?"

"I'm a clone whose memories were implanted."

Dinah reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Roy," she started, and gave him a squeeze to silence him when he opened his mouth. "You are real. You are human, with human feelings. Being a clone doesn't make you less of a person. Having your memories altered in the past doesn't make your memories of today any less real. You are important. We care about you."

"You shouldn't," Roy said, and pulled away from her touch. "I don't deserve it."

"Ever hear of unconditional love? You love someone no matter what."

Roy continued eating, more to avoid talking than from a feeling of hunger at this point. Dinah stood and put her hand on his shoulder.

"When you're ready to talk again, I'll be here," she promised. Roy didn't look up as she left the room.

"I don't deserve it," he repeated to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Roy avoided Oliver. It wasn't hard. The house was big enough that he could keep from seeing his mentor for days. Roy's head was in the fridge when movement caught his eye. He cursed himself for letting someone sneak up on him. He glared at the intruder, who in turn smiled back at him.

"So, your plan was to ambush me in the kitchen for another therapy session?" Roy retorted. He debated leaving the food behind and escaping to his bedroom, but he figured Dinah would just follow him. He didn't want to look like he was retreating either.

"I hope that's not what you think I'm doing," Dinah said, a trace of hurt in her voice. Roy felt guilty. Dinah had been nothing but kind to him in all the time he had known her.

"What are you doing?" Roy didn't make eye contact as he piled food on his plate and went to the kitchen.

Dinah waited until he sat before speaking. "I do want to help, if you'll let me."

Roy ate in silence and Dinah let him. She showed no sign of impatience. Roy bet that she would wait until the world ended if that's how long it took him to open up. Not for the first time, respect and affection for this woman filled Roy. Oliver hit the jackpot when Dinah came into his life. He hoped that the old man realized how lucky he was.

"A memory of Cadmus surfaced," Roy said before he had fully decided if he was going to share that information.

Dinah looked intrigued. "What was it about?"

Roy looked at his plate as he recounted the memory aloud. "So, I wondered I should expect more memories," he concluded.

Dinah considered it before speaking. "If we look at this as a case of repressed memories, then it is possible ** _,_** but it's not guaranteed," she said carefully.

"Would there be any way to force the memories to the surface?" Roy asked.

"Some people have had luck with hypnosis," Dinah said."Would you be willing to try that?"

Roy felt ill at ease for having someone else watching him when he was vulnerable, but he reminded himself why he was doing this. A memory might reveal a clue on Speedy's whereabouts, allowing him to rescue the young hero and take down Cadmus. Besides, this was Dinah. He had known her for years and he trusted her more than he trusted most people nowadays. "Okay, let's do it." He pushed his plate away. "What do I do?"

"Relax, and trust me," she said. She moved her chair so she was facing him more squarely. "Close your eyes. Breathe." Dinah saw that Roy's leg began to bounce nervously and she placed her hand firmly on his knee. "You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you here," she reassured and then removed her hand.

Roy let out a huff of annoyance, more at himself than anything. He forced himself to concentrate.

"Think back to the other memories. Replay them in your head, but try to actually be there, living it."

The young man envisioned the scene, hearing the scientists talk, feeling the smooth glass on his hands. "Got it," he said quietly.

"Good. Now think of the information you want. Don't push, just guide."

Roy felt himself float towards other memories. Suddenly, he was hit at once with too many of them- images and sounds and sensations all washing over him at once, pulling him down, drowning him in a cacophony that he couldn't escape...

"Roy? Roy, open your eyes. Roy!" The young man's eyes opened to see Dinah's concerned face peering worriedly at him. His chest hurt and he inhaled sharply. At some point, he must have stopped breathing. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling his rapid pulse, and tried to remind his heart and lungs to return to normal.

After a few minutes, the young man realized that Dinah's hand was on his shoulder. "I'm okay," he said, even though he wasn't sure if he really was okay.

Dinah waited another few seconds before asking, "What happened?"

"Too many memories at once. I got overwhelmed." Roy was impressed with how calmly he said that. His heart was still beating too fast for his liking. He stood. "I think I'm going to lie down for awhile, get my thoughts back in order."

"That's a good idea," Dinah said. She stood also, as if to escort him to his room.

"I've got it," he said, flashing her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, but you know I'll be close by if you need me," she said.

"Thanks," Roy said sincerely, then gave her a hug. "For everything." He went upstairs and collapsed on his bed. Thoughts swirled around in his head. He let them. Sometime later, either minutes or hours, a single thought pushed past all the others. The current location of Cadmus, of Speedy. He would leave now, before Dinah or Oliver came to check on him. This was something he needed to do on his own.

He was going to Chicago.

* * *

Red Arrow suited up and packed light- an overnight bag with the essentials, and his bow and arrows. Thank goodness for zeta tubes. It would have been interesting getting his weapon through airport security. He left his cell phone and comm at Oliver's place. He didn't want the other heroes following him. Roy did leave a note saying that he would contact them when he found Speedy. He slipped out of the mansion without anyone, superhero or civilian, seeing him.

When he reached Chicago, he was forced to wander the streets, waiting for something to feel familiar. It was not a quick process. At one point he stopped to get something to eat from a twenty-four hour cafe. The clock read just after midnight. The food gave him energy to continue looking for another couple of hours. Just when he decided he would give it twenty more minutes before returning to Star City to regroup, Roy felt déjà vu. He didn't know if he had ever been to the Cadmus building in Chicago, but he trusted his instincts. The organization had programmed him with memories and orders. What was to stop them from putting a kind of homing beacon in him, so he would return to their clutches?

But Roy was not going to allow himself to be a prisoner again. He took out the security cameras with trick arrows that released foam. He picked the lock and entered, happy to find that no alarm sounded. That didn't mean there wasn't a silent alarm though, so he stayed alert.

He found the stairs and went down two flights before running into guards in the stairwell. He dispatched both of them easily before they could radio for backup. Red Arrow smiled to himself as he opened the door to the hallway. He was really going to do this. He didn't need Green Arrow or anyone to back him up.

The scene on the other side of the door made his smile disappear. There were ten scientists and twice as many guards in the hallway. One of the guards looked up to see him and sent up a cry of "After him!"

Roy retreated to the stairwell, quickly climbing the stairs to claim the higher ground. The door swung open and several guards came through. When he had gained enough distance, he released another arrow that sealed the doorway with a thick webbing. It would prevent any reinforcements from coming through that way, but it wouldn't stop the guards who had already come through.

Then the door on the next floor opened and several guards came through that way. Shooting arrows wouldn't work in these close quarters, so he used his bow to block as the other men swung their stun batons at him. He ducked when he heard gunfire. Red Arrow cursed their stupidity at firing in an enclosed space. They were just as likely to hit each other as they were to hit him. He removed another arrow from his quiver and twisted the tip, releasing the gas stored inside. The smoke surrounded him and he ducked past the guards and into the next hallway.

He wasn't lucky enough to find an empty area. Dr. Reinhard, the man who had been in charge of his "programming" in the first place, was standing in front of him. "Take him down," the man said. Something hard and metallic hit him on the back of his head. He fell to his knees. Another blow sent him all the way to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Roy woke to find himself strapped to a dentist's chair. There were straps around his wrists, ankles, chest, and knees. Pulling on the straps, he found that his bonds were secure. He wasn't getting out of them on his own. His uniform was gone, blue hospital scrubs taking their place, and he was barefoot. His mask was gone. Roy reminded himself that Cadmus already knew his identity, so this shouldn't matter. It didn't stop him from feeling exposed and vulnerable though. He looked up to see a blank projector screen in front of him. He turned his head to look around and found Dr. Reinhard beside him.

"The clone's awake, I see," the man said, his eyes scanning Roy as if he were a piece of machinery in for a tune-up. "I did some brain scans while you were unconscious. It looks like all the old protocols have been wiped."

Red Arrow made a mental note to thank M'gann again. "Shoulda gone with the lifetime warrantee," he quipped. "Good mind control doesn't even seem to last three years anymore."

The doctor looked annoyed with Roy's jokes. "The body is still in good condition. That will save time since I won't need to regrow a new specimen. The mind can be altered easily enough."

A chill went down Roy's spine. "You won't do that. I won't allow you. I'll never be controlled by you or anyone again."

"You speak as if you have a choice," Dr. Reinhard smirked. "I created your mind. I installed the programming. I even grew your body from a few cells. None of this," he said, gesturing to Roy's body, "is yours."

"It's not yours," he retorted angrily.

Dr. Reinhard ignored him. He touched a spot on Roy's forehead. "If I drill right here, I would have access to the prefrontal cortex. That will allow me to make the necessary alterations to the memory."

"To _my_ memory!" Anger battled with fear. Roy was terrified of this man cutting into his brain, but fear made him feel weak. Instead he focused on how this man kept saying "the brain, the memory" instead of acknowledging that those things belonged to Roy, triggering the anger that gave him strength.

"Unfortunately, other plans have been made. Dr. Simon Jones has been called in to consult." Dr. Reinhard looked disappointed, like a long-coveted toy had been promised to him, only to be taken away before he could play with it.

The change in plans did little to ease Red Arrow's fears. "Psimon?" he whispered. He didn't want the telepath digging around in his brain psychically any more than he wanted Dr. Reinhard to do it with a drill and a scalpel.

"But he won't be here for a few days. That should give me some time to use some old-fashioned methods." The doctor turned and picked up a syringe from a tray. Roy pulled on his restraints again, but there was no give. The doctor held Roy's head still as he guided the needle into the young man's neck. "This is just something to loosen you up. Make you more open to ideas."

"No," Roy grunted as the metal pierced his skin. "I won't listen. You can't control me."

"You're forgetting that I've been controlling you your whole life," Dr. Reinhard reminded him. "Ever since I created you."

"What do you even want me for?" Red Arrow asked. He could feel the drug taking effect. He couldn't remember why it was so important for him to argue with this man. But he never needed a reason to be obstinate before.

"Never hurts to have a killer in your control." The doctor put an inhibitor collar around Roy's neck. Even though Roy didn't have any meta abilities to be suppressed, he knew that the collar could still be used to electrocute him.

"I'm not a killer," Red Arrow protested weakly.

"You will be." The doctor turned the hero's head to face the screen. "The first thing I need to do is cut ties with people you were close to, people who would try to reverse my... modifications."

A picture of Green Arrow appeared on the screen. Dr. Reinhard pressed a button on the remote and Roy cried out in pain. "He is your enemy," the doctor said.

Roy shook his head, and then another picture appeared, this time of Black Canary. "She is your enemy," the doctor said, electrocuting him again.

"No," Roy said, shaking his head.

The elder man ignored him and continued with his slideshow- Artemis, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad. Each picture was accompanied by a painful shock and a warning that they were the enemy. His friends. His family. Roy felt guilty for letting them down. Not just the betrayal that Cadmus had programmed into his brain, but the rudeness, the anger, the distance he put between himself and the people who cared about him. If he had let Oliver come with him, Roy wouldn't be a captive right now. When the end of the pictures was reached, it started over, and then again after that. Red Arrow lost track of how many times the slideshow was repeated after the fifth time. After that, all he could concentrate on was the pain.

A few more times through, and the doctor offered him a reprieve. "I can make the pain stop, if you show me you are making progress." He waited for a response.

Roy licked his dry lips and swallowed painfully. "What... do you mean?" he asked hoarsely.

"Let's go through the pictures again, but this time you do the commentary."

The doctor wanted him to label his loved ones as enemies? Roy was too tired to offer a scathing rebuttal, so he just shook his head.

"Maybe you need another dose." The elder man picked up another syringe and injected it into Roy's neck. The teen moaned softly.

"He will come for me," he whispered.

"Who? Green Arrow?" Doctor Reinhard scoffed. "You know, that's what the original said. Over and over again. 'Green Arrow will come for me. You'll see.' " he mimicked. "But guess what? He didn't come. He left his sidekick with us for three and a half years."

"He didn't know," Roy protested. Okay, when did he start standing up for Oliver? His thoughts floated away when he reached for them. His mind was swimming. Roy's head lolled to the side.

"No, none of that. I need you to concentrate." The doctor moved his head so he was facing forward again. "I'm going to show the pictures again, and this time I want you to say, 'You are my enemy' or I will electrocute you again."

Green Arrow's picture appeared on the screen. 'Ollie, please help me,' Roy begged silently. The doctor waited a few seconds, but followed through with his promise when Roy refused to comply.

"Say it," Dr. Reinhard commanded. He hadn't changed the picture yet. "Say he is your enemy."

'Just words,' the teen thought. 'Doesn't mean anything, but it will make the pain stop.' He swallowed. "You are my enemy," he rasped.

"Good," the older man said. The picture changed. "Again."

Roy dutifully repeated the line. He closed his eyes on Artemis's picture, guilt returning for accusing her of being the traitor. The doctor noticed and shocked him again. He waited until the young man's scream ended before he chastised, "Eyes open."

Roy had to endure two more times through the slideshow before the man stopped. He couldn't even understand what he was saying by the end, his voice was so hoarse. The doctor moved out of Roy's sight, but he was too tired to care where the other man went. His captor returned a moment later with a glass of water. "Good work," he complimented, moving the glass close enough for Roy to drink from the straw. Red Arrow wanted to spit in the other man's face, but thirst overruled his defiance. The man pulled the water away before Roy could drink his fill. Roy barely managed to keep himself from begging for more.

"That's enough for now," Reinhard said. He gestured to someone Roy couldn't see. "I want you to strap him to a gurney and give him an anesthetic."

The assistant stepped forward, wheeling a gurney. He removed the restraints. Red Arrow tried to tell himself that his was a perfect opportunity for escape, but he couldn't seem to get his limbs to move. The two men picked him up and laid him on the metal surface. He was quickly restrained again. The assistant wheeled him to a wall and prepared the IV. "N-nn..." Roy tried, but he couldn't even form the word 'no'. The other man ignored him and inserted the needle in his arm. There was no point in fighting. Roy escaped into oblivion.

* * *

"How long has he been gone?" Oliver asked, staring into the empty room.

"I saw him two hours ago. I don't know if he left immediately after that or not." Dinah's lips were pressed together in worry.

"Maybe he's lurking around the house," Oliver said hopefully.

Dinah shook her head. "I tried hypnosis on him and he was able to recover memories. Roy said that they overwhelmed him, but I think he was able to get a lead to Speedy's location. He's been obsessed with finding him since he found out the truth. It makes sense that he would leave suddenly if he has a lead on Speedy."

"Why wouldn't he tell us?" Oliver ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "We could help."

"He believes he has to do this on his own. As penance."

"He has nothing to make up for!"

Dinah put her hand on Ollie's shoulder. "I know that, and you do. He's not there yet."

"I'll call him," Oliver decided. He pulled his phone out and hit 3 on speed dial. An answering ring revealed that Roy's cell was on the nightstand. "Maybe he just went out to clear his head," Oliver said, not wanting to believe that Roy would go up against Cadmus without backup.

"Check the closet," Dinah said. "His uniform's gone, and so are his bow and arrows."

"I'm not letting him do this alone," Oliver said. "We're going to Gotham. Maybe Batman has a lead."

* * *

"Shhh, it's okay," a female voice whispered. Roy felt a gentle hand on his forehead. The hand pushed back his hair, and then moved to his cheek. "It's going to be okay."

Roy felt a wave of affection for the woman. 'Mom?' he thought when he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. All he could tell was that the woman had blonde hair. He didn't remember much of his mother, but he did have one picture of her- and his mother was a brunette. Wait, not his mother, Roy's mother. He didn't have a mom, just duplicated DNA. He turned his head away, but the woman's hand was still there. "Look at me," the woman said softly. "You're going to get through this."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Time to wake up," a male voice said, interrupting his dream. Roy pried his eyes open. A chain stretched from the ceiling to the manacles that suspended his wrists above his head. His toes barely grazed the floor. "It's time for more of your conditioning." Dr. Reinhard moved into view before the man put a blindfold on his prisoner. Roy instinctively jerked backward when he felt something else settle over his ears. But there wasn't anywhere he could go, so he couldn't stop the doctor. When he got his heart rate under control, Roy tried to focus on what that object was. It became apparent a few seconds later when loud death metal music exploded in his ears. The teen flinched again, closing his eyes even though it didn't accomplish anything. He tried to use his upper arms to push the headphones off, but he felt the doctor fasten straps behind his head and under his chin to keep the device in place.

There was no escaping the cacophonous sound that filled his head. Roy tried to pull back into a safe place in his mind, but the sound followed him. He thought wryly how, at a lower volume, this would be the type of music he would play to annoy Oliver. Wait, was that him, or other Roy? The noise was making it hard to concentrate.

Suddenly, it stopped. "You will obey," said a voice in a normal tone, and then the "music" continued, just as loud as before. After some time had passed, the same voice returned with the same message. Roy counted seconds, but there was no pattern to when the voice would cut into the death metal.

Finally, the sound stopped and the headphones were pulled from his ears. The sudden silence hurt almost as much as the noise. "Did you learn your lesson?" came Dr. Reinhard's voice from in front of him.

Roy glared at the other man, but the blindfold ruined the effect. "Maybe you really liked that song?" the doctor threatened. "Or you could just say it."

"I will obey," Roy said, hating himself for giving in.

"Good. Now let's move on to the next step."

* * *

"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?" Green Arrow said angrily. "He's been missing for hours, and you don't know where he is?"

"I said I didn't know exactly where he is," Batman corrected. "I went through the financials and back-traced it through-"

Green Arrow held up a hand, cutting off the other hero. Fear for his sidekick overrode any hesitation on getting on the Bat's bad side. "Cut the technobabble. Tell me what you know."

"My findings led me to Chicago."

"Where in Chicago? It's a big city."

"I narrowed down the location from the entire planet to one city," Batman said coldly. "Superman and J'onn have already volunteered to come. I will also help you search."

Oliver took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're right. I'm sorry. And thanks, for helping."

Batman gave him a small nod in acknowledgement. Then he surprised the other hero by putting his hand on Arrow's shoulder. "I understand. If it were Robin..."

Green Arrow gave him a grim smile. "Let's get him back."


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter!

* * *

Red Arrow was transferred to a table where he was restrained. His shirt had been removed but the blindfold was left to cover his eyes. "I'm going to inject this syringe of phenol into your spine," Dr. Reinhard told the helpless teen. "When the drug takes effect, you won't be able to feel what I'm doing to you."

"Why would you do that? You haven't had a problem hurting me before now," Roy retorted. He felt the doctor turn his head to the side to gain access to the back of his neck. The young man stiffened, but he was afraid to resist. He really didn't want a broken needle in his neck.

The doctor ignored his question and injected the solution into the boy's spine. "It will take a few minutes to start working. I just want to remind you that you could have given in to me at any time and spared yourself these recalibrations."

"Go to hell," Roy said, which was the best rebuttal he could come up with under the circumstances.

"I suppose I could test you to see if it is working yet," the other man said. Roy felt a knife (or maybe a scalpel?) cut into his arm. "Did you feel that?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because the pain is going to get very bad, and it would be better for you if that didn't happen before the drug kicks in," the doctor answered evenly.

The calmness of the man's threat shook Roy. "I felt it," he admitted. There was another incision made on his calf. "That too." The pain from the two cuts was negligible. As a hero, (Roy tried to argue with himself that he wasn't a hero, but he saved people, so he was one) pain was a necessary side effect of going up against the bad guys. But he knew the doctor was serious about increasing the pain level. The electrocution he endured when he was first captured was not something he would voluntarily repeat.

"How about this?" Dr. Reinhard asked.

"I didn't feel anything."

"You don't feel this?" the doctor repeated. The teen got worried. As much as he didn't want to feel the pain, with his sense of sight and touch taken away he didn't know what the man was doing to him. The not-knowing was worse.

"No," he said coldly, pretending it didn't bother him.

"Then we're ready to start." Roy heard a match strike and smelled the smoke from the flame. The smell changed, and it took him several moments to realize it was the stench of hair burning. He pulled on his bonds, or he tried to. The young man couldn't feel his limbs, and he had no way of knowing if his efforts were fruitful. In fact, the doctor could have undone the straps and he still wouldn't be able to escape. "You're really not feeling this?" the doctor repeated.

Roy ignored him. The man enjoyed his pain and fear. Right now, the teen couldn't feel pain, so if he refused to show fear, he would deny his captor any satisfaction. Roy took deep breaths and tried to center himself like Green Arrow had taught him. Just as he thought it was beginning to work, the smell changed slightly. No longer burning hair, but burning flesh. Roy gagged. What was the man burning? His leg? His chest? All thought of composure went out the window. Roy started to thrash around, or at least he tried to.

A sudden memory from years earlier made him freeze, his breath caught in his throat.

/His father had left for work. There was a bad forest fire, close to the Indian Reservation. Roy never worried when his dad was called in. After all, this was his dad. No one was more amazing than him. His dad would be safe, he just knew it.

There had been a knock on the door. "I'll get it," he yelled, running for the door before the babysitter could stand up. It was a police officer.

"I'm sorry, son," the man said, and Roy's world came crashing down. For years after, he had nightmares of his father being consumed by flames.../

No, not him. Other Roy. The real Roy. Red Arrow fought to remind himself that these memories weren't real. He never met Roy's father, had no reason to be devastated at the loss. The logic did nothing to dispel the emotional pain and he found himself screaming.

"That's enough for now," the doctor said over the sounds his patient's anguish. "I think we've made good progress, don't you?"

Red Arrow wanted to ask what part of him had been burned and how bad it was, but his brain was caught up in a nightmare from a decade ago. He couldn't form words. Just as he managed to open his mouth to ask, he heard the doctor's footstep walk away, leaving Roy to imagine what condition his body had been left in.

* * *

They swept the city, each using their talents to narrow down the search. Superman flew above, using his x-ray vision to look for pods. J'onn used localized telepathy to search out feelings of distress or pain. Batman's tech helped him pinpoint areas using an unusual amount of electricity, which would be needed to power the pods and computers Cadmus would be running. Green Arrow and Black Canary interrogated criminals on the street for clues on where the missing hero was being held.

Batman decided there were five likely places where the secret facility might be and used the comm link to send Superman and J'onn to check them out. Green Arrow wanted to go with them, but his teammates' ability to fly meant they would finish searching all the places before he could even reach the first. He punched the wall next to him angrily.

Black Canary was beside him in a second. "Hey, I know you're worried about him, but let the others help. We'll get him back."

"Is it wrong to wish that _I_ was the one to save him?" Green Arrow asked.

"No, it's not wrong. But using the League will help find him faster. You will be there to help him recover after this."

"I don't know if I can. I haven't proven that I'm very good at that. Give me a bad guy to take down and I've got it, no problem. But talking to my protégé? Apparently that's beyond my abilities."

Dinah gave him a look. "You can say it's too hard and give up, or you can try and see what you can actually do. He needs more than just being saved from Cadmus. He needs you. You can't just walk away from him."

"You're right. I just hope that I can-" his words were interrupted by Superman over the comm.

"We think we've found him at the fourth location. We'll wait until everyone arrives before we make our move."

Oliver ran. He ran like a life depended on it- the life of the boy he'd come to think of as his son. When he reached the location, his heart thudded with exertion and fear.

"Where is he?" he asked Batman, who was lurking near the front entrance. The other two heroes were probably covering the back.

"Superman and the Martian Manhunter think that Red Arrow and Speedy are both at this location," Batman said. "Red Arrow is in the basement, and Speedy is in the subbasement." He paused, possibly to give Green Arrow the choice of which boy he wanted to rescue.

Oliver swallowed hard. 'This isn't about choosing one over the other,' he told himself. 'Both boys will be saved today.' "Canary and I will take the basement," he said aloud.

"We will head to the subbasement," Batman said over the comm, giving no indication on whether or not he agreed with Green Arrow's decision. Oliver shook it off. He would worry about it later. The heroes entered the building, quickly disabling the guards. Each of them took a keycard from their unconscious adversaries. They found the stairs and hurried down them. Batman continued down another level. Canary and GA took a different side of the hallway and went from room to room, searching for the missing teen. They came up empty the first several rooms and Oliver's panic increased. What if Clark and J'onn were wrong, and Roy wasn't here?

"Green Arrow," Dinah called from one of the rooms, and Oliver hastened to her. Strapped down on a table beside her was a red-haired boy, clad in blue scrub bottoms and blindfolded. Dinah gently removed the blindfold. "Red Arrow," she called to the teen as she pressed her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse.

Blue eyes opened and immediately squeezed shut. "Too bright," the boy moaned. Oliver quickly turned the light off and shut the door to block most of the light from the hallway.

"How about now?" Dinah asked.

He opened his eyes again and stared at her in confusion. "Mom?" he asked, making both adults worry about his state of mind.

"No, honey, it's Black Canary," she corrected. "Do you know where you are?"

"Cadmus," he whispered and closed his eyes again. Even the low light hurt after being blindfolded for so long.

"That's right, but you're safe now. We're going to get you out of here." Dinah removed the straps around his wrists while Oliver got the ones around his ankles.

"How bad... burns?" he rasped.

The two adults looked at each other. "What burns?" Dinah asked when she looked back at Roy.

"Burns," he insisted. "The doc... said he burned me. The drug... kept from feeling... could smell it though..."

"Red Arrow, look at me," Oliver said kindly. "There are no burns anywhere on your body. "There is a cut on your arm and one on your lower leg, and your wrists and neck have been rubbed raw, but there are no burn marks."

The teen shook his head, unable to believe what the other man was telling him. Dinah caught sight of another body lying on a gurney. She pointed it out to Green Arrow. He went to check it out. "There's a body over here that is burned," he told his companions. "That must be what you smelled, Red Arrow."

"Let's get you home," Black Canary told the teen. "Can you stand?" Both heroes helped him off the table. Roy wasn't confident on his feet, and Oliver didn't plan on letting him go unless his protégé pushed him away. Maybe not even then. Almost losing him scared Oliver more than he cared to admit.

Green Arrow activated the comm. "We found him. I'm taking him back to the Watchtower."

Superman answered. "We found Speedy as well. He doesn't appear to be injured, but he has not regained consciousness. Where would you like us to take him?"

Oliver took a second to answer. Dinah came to his rescue. "You stay with Red Arrow, I'll watch over Speedy," she told him.

He nodded his thanks to his girlfriend."Royal Memorial Hospital," he told Superman. "Black Canary will meet him there." Then he contacted John Stewart, who was on Watchtower duty. "Lantern, beam us up."

The lights surrounded the three protectors of Star City, and then they found themselves in the League's floating fortress. John helped them get Roy, who had passed out, to the med bay. They treated him for the electroshock and tended to his wounds. They agreed that there would be no lasting damage. Dehydration was the main concern. Oliver decided Roy would heal better in familiar settings, so he had John beam them back to Queen Manor. Oliver and Dinah returned the teen to his bed and set up an IV drip to replace the fluids Roy was desperately low on. Once Roy was settled in, Dinah packed a bag.

"You'll be fine," she reassured Oliver. "Just sit with him. When he wakes up, be there for him. You can do this."

"You have too much faith in me," he told her. She kissed him and then left for Royal Memorial to sit the other Roy.

* * *

Oliver sat alone with his unconscious patient, and the worries that had briefly left him came back in full force. How would Roy-this Roy- react to being brought back to Oliver's house? Saying their relationship was strained was putting it lightly. Would Roy run off as soon as he was able to walk? Oliver believed in his protégé's abilities, but he didn't like the idea of him on his own, living in a rundown apartment. It wasn't that Roy couldn't take care of himself, it's that the teen would overlook his emotional needs in favor of pursuing criminals. Oliver didn't know if he could convince Roy to stay.

And what about the other Roy, Speedy? How could he face the boy when he hadn't even known that the teen was missing for so long? There was no way to apologize for the lack of protection he had offered. Maybe that relationship was as broken as the one he had with Red Arrow. He had failed both of them. Oliver half-jokingly considered offering mentorship of Artemis to Batman. Robin seemed well-adjusted, so the Caped Crusader must be doing something right.

Oliver's head was buried in his hands when he heard rustling from the bed. He looked up to see an unconscious Roy moving around under the covers as if from a nightmare. "Roy," he said softly, and then repeated himself louder when the teen didn't respond. The young man finally opened his eyes and blinked rapidly, as if he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Oliver had kept the room dark, knowing that Roy's eyes would need to be gradually reintroduced to light. "Over here," Oliver said, guiding the teen's face towards him.

Roy flinched at the touch, and his mentor reminded himself it was a result of his captivity, not a sign of how estranged they were. His eyes focused on Oliver, and he croaked, "Where?"

"You're home, Roy." He waited for the correction either on the boy's name or the definition of 'home,' but none came. "Here, drink some water." He helped Roy sit up, careful of the IV, and held the glass up for him. Roy drank eagerly, and Oliver had to caution him to slow down. He adjusted the pillows so the teen could sit up.

"I can see," Roy said as his eyes became accustomed to the dark. He sounded slightly surprised.

"We removed your blindfold. Considering how your eyes reacted to light, we guessed that it was on for a long time." Oliver left that as an invitation to talk, afraid to push him.

"Yeah," Roy said. There was a long pause, and Oliver almost said something, but Roy surprised him by continuing. "How long was I gone?"

"Almost 24 hours." Oliver waited for the condemnation for taking so long to save him, but it didn't come.

"Thank you. For coming for me." The words were soft, but the feeling was there.

"Of course."

"I thought that if I could bring back Roy- the original Roy- then it would make up for what I've done."

"You mean the fights we've had about you being a partner and joining the League?" Oliver asked.

Roy shook his head. "Betraying everyone. Allowing Vandal Savage to get into the Watchtower."

"Roy, that's not your fault. No one blames you for that. I'm grateful that you wanted to find Speedy, but you didn't need to do it as some kind of penance."

"I'm sorry I failed."

"Not exactly," Oliver said cautiously. "When we rescued you, we found Speedy. He's unharmed, but unconscious at the hospital."

"What are you doing here? You should be with him. He shouldn't have to wake up alone," Roy protested.

"Dinah is with him, so he won't wake up alone. I wanted to be here for you when you woke up."

"Why?" The one word question exposed a vulnerability in Roy that he had kept carefully hidden.

"I care about you. I always have. I know I'm not your father, but I want to protect you, to keep you safe."

"But I'm not him."

"I can care about both of you, can't I? I remember you were so upset when I introduced Artemis to the Team as my niece. You felt like I was replacing you. But just because I care about one person, doesn't mean I can't care about someone else. I know Batman doesn't believe this, but you can love more than one person at a time."

There was a hint of a smile on Roy's lips at the joke. "How will he react when he finds out I'm here? The other Roy, I mean, not Batman."

"We'll figure it out," Oliver said with more confidence than he felt. He had been winging it with the whole "dad" thing, now he was pretending he knew what to do with a fourteen year old and his eighteen year old clone. Good thing he had Dinah. She seemed to know the right thing to say or do to make a situation better. "Can I cook you something to eat?"

"You're a terrible cook," Roy reminded him.

"Can I heat up something from a can for you to eat?" Oliver amended. Roy nodded and Oliver went to the kitchen to round up something. When he returned, the teen's eyes were closed, but he must have just been resting because Roy opened his eyes when Oliver came into the room.

"Soup and crackers?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know I'm not sick, right?"

"Yeah, but you haven't eaten anything in two days, and your stomach needs something simple to process." Oliver set the tray down on Roy's lap. The young man picked up a spoon but paused before eating.

"Are you just going to watch me eat?"

"I thought we could watch some movies," Oliver said. He gestured to the stack of DVD's on the tray.

Roy read the title of the movie on top. "Fellowship of the Ring? Really?"

"You used to love it," Oliver protested.

Roy tried to remember if it was he who liked it, or other Roy, then decided not to worry about it. He had memories of liking it, and that was good enough. "Okay, put it in." Roy drank a spoonful of broth while Oliver got the movie started. The warmth felt wonderful on his abused throat.

He fell asleep forty minutes into the movie, soup half-eaten. Oliver moved the tray so it wouldn't spill. Then he got comfortable on the chair. He wasn't going to leave tonight. He had found his protégé, and he wasn't going to leave Roy Harper for anything.

End

* * *

Author's note- I decided that the original Roy was not injured at Cadmus. I wanted to keep the focus on Red Arrow.

If you enjoyed this story, check out my other DC stories on my profile.


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